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Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter
Seba's coach, Theodore Whitmore. and Hyde Sr.
THEODORE WHITMORE, the successful interim coach for Jamaica's Reggae Boyz in its two most recent friendlies against Guatemala and El Salvador, heads a list of four assistant coaches named to serve an apprenticeship period under new technical director Rene Simoes for the next three months.
The others are Cash Plus Premier League coaches, Lenworth Hyde Sr. of Harbour View and St. Georges' Donovan Duckie, along for with former Portmore United's Paul Young.
The appointment falls within the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) new structure for the development of the national programme, which was unveiled following a meeting of the board of directors at the organization's headquarters yesterday.
In addition to the assistants, four more coaches have been appointed to deal specifically with the womens programme. Current women's national coach Charles Edwards tops that list and he will be joined by Xavier Gilbert, Oneil Thomas and Junior Francis.
Five national co-ordinators, which include Patrick 'Jackie' Walters, coach of schoolboy football team Glenmuir, Leebert Halliman coach of Excelsior and other former national coaches Wendell Downswell and Bradley Stewart and Vin Blaine, have been recruited with the responsibility for female development.
The national co-ordinators will chiefly be responsible for scouting talent, co-ordinating trials for different age groups and assessing coaching talent across the island.
In the meantime the JFF, who have now approved a budget which is expected to cost over 1.23 billion dollars over the next 30 months, continue to look for ways to offset the debt inherited from the previous administration. High on the agenda is the 135,000 pounds sterling still owing to the English Football Association for tickets sold for the England vs Jamaica game which took place at Old Trafford two years ago.
Captain Horace Burrell, the JFF president, stressed that the issue is one which continues to be a major source of concern.
"Right now we really are not sure where the money is going to come from," Burrell said.
"This a also a big issue based on the fact that is very important to not only have a good relationship with the English FA, but the rest of Europe as well."
The federation also has outstanding debts of $US12,300 in penalties levied by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) following the failure to send a team to the regional Under-15 competition.
Another issue which the organisation is yet to iron out stems from ownership of television rights for broadcasting of the World Cup qualifiers, that affects Sportsmax and Television Jamaica.
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